Lord Patten, the chairman of the BBC Trust, came under increasing pressure last night as it emerged he approved a £1.32 million ($2.1 million) severance package for George Entwistle, the former director-general.

Entwistle, who resigned on Saturday night after just 54 days in the job, leaves with a £450,000 ($715,365) lump sum on top of his £877,000 ($1,394,961.75) pension pot, which was described as unjustifiable and unacceptable by one MP.

Entwistle quit after Newsnight was forced to issue an unreserved apology to Lord McAlpine after it broadcast a report wrongly accusing a senior Conservative of pedophilia, which led to the Tory peer being named online.

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